JPH0118225Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical Field of the Invention] This invention relates to a coding device that adds a barcode to a mail piece according to the reading result or coding of an address on the mail piece, for example.

[Technical background of the invention and its problems]

Recently, the address written on the mail piece is optically scanned, and the address is read based on the result of this optical scanning. If the correct address is read, the bar code of the postal code corresponding to this address is added to the mail piece. It is now attached to the top. In addition, if the correct address cannot be read, the result of the above-mentioned optical scanning, that is, the scanned image, is displayed on the display, and this display allows the operator to enter the postal code on the keyboard and use the code to add a bar code to the mail piece. ing equipment is available. Then, the postal items to which the barcodes have been added as described above are sorted and stacked into corresponding sorting boxes by a sorting machine.

However, with the above-mentioned coding device, it is not possible to check what kind of image information the operator is sensitive to, or what the tendency of the reading unit to reject is.

[Purpose of invention]

This idea was made in view of the above circumstances,
The purpose is to provide a coding device that allows an operator to check what kind of image information he or she is sensitive to or the tendency of the reading unit to reject.

[Summary of the idea]

In this invention, the image information of the currently displayed mail item is stored in the storage section in response to an instruction from the keyboard of the coding desk.

[Example of idea]

An embodiment of this invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the schematic structure of the coding device of this invention. In the figure, 1 is a reading/printing section, 2 is a plurality of video coding desks 3
..., a coding section consisting of a distributor 4 and a data processing section 5, and an image processing section 6 that stores image information such as the address of mail and its postal code, and sequentially outputs the image information and postal code during training. It is.

As shown in FIG. 2, the reading and printing section 1 is
Mail P supplied from the supply section 11 or mail P conveyed from a sorting section (not shown) is conveyed on a conveyance path 12. An image reader 13 is provided on the transport path 12 to optically scan information on the mail P being transported. This image reader 1
The mail P that has passed through the post 3 is supplied to a sorting machine (not shown) via a conveyance path 14 and a delay conveyance path 15. Near the end of the conveyance path 15, a printer 16 and stackers 17, 18 are provided which print a barcode corresponding to the address information on the mail P conveyed through the conveyance path 15.

A determining section 19 for discriminating postal codes according to image information read by the image reader 13 and a control section 20 are provided for controlling the entire reading and printing section 1. The control unit 20 receives mail P, 1 from the image reader 13.
The image information of each sheet is read and the determination section 19 determines the postal code. In addition, the control unit 20
By supplying the barcode information corresponding to the identified postal code or the barcode information supplied from the data processing unit 5 to the printer 16, a barcode is printed on the corresponding postal item P. . Furthermore, when the postal code cannot be determined, the control section 20 outputs the image information to the data processing section 5.

Further, the image processing section 6 is configured as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. That is, 21 is a main control device, and a CPU 22 that performs various controls;
a main memory 23, a buffer memory 2 having a storage capacity corresponding to at least one unit of image information;
4. A compression/expansion circuit 25 that compresses (reduces the redundancy) or expands (returns the reduced redundancy) image information; a pattern generator 26 that stores pattern information such as characters and symbols;
Display interface circuit 27 and interface circuit 3 for connection with the coding section 2
5, etc. Above CPU22
is from the data processing section 5 to the interface circuit 25.
When a request signal for image information for training is supplied via the controller, the image information is read from a magnetic disk (storage unit) 31 (described later) and is supplied to the data processing unit 5 via an interface circuit 35. It is. Reference numeral 28 denotes a reading device, such as a two-dimensional scanning device, which scans the postal item P two-dimensionally with a laser beam to obtain an electrical signal corresponding to image information on the postal item P. Reference numeral 29 denotes a magnetic disk device which adds a sequence number to image information read by the two-dimensional scanning device 28 and supplied via the main controller 21, as well as a postal code (specific information) inputted by the keyboard 30. The data are sequentially stored on the magnetic disk 31. Reference numeral 32 denotes a CRT display device that displays image information read by the two-dimensional scanning device 28 using a display interface circuit 27. A recording device 33 outputs image information read by the two-dimensional scanning device 28 and supplied via the main control device 21 as a hard copy 34.

Data processing unit 5 in the coding unit 2
uses a keyboard (not shown) to specify whether the coding desk 3 is to be used in the actual operation mode or the training mode, and by this designation, the image information supplied from the control unit 20 is sent to the distributor 4 in the actual operation mode. When in the training mode, image information supplied from the interface circuit 35 is distributed to each video coding desk 3.
The data is distributed to each video coding desk 3 according to the following. In addition, the data processing section 5
is converted into barcode information for the postal code supplied from the video coding desk 3, and the barcode information is transmitted to the control unit 20 in the actual operation mode.
It is output to the CPU 22 in the training mode.

The video coding desk 3 above is the 4th one.
As shown in the figure, a CRT that displays image information supplied from the data processing section 5 via the distributor 4
It is composed of display devices 41 and 42 and a keyboard 43 for inputting the postal code corresponding to the image information displayed on the CRT display device 42.

Next, the operation in such a configuration will be explained. First, we will explain the actual operation. For example, the actual operation mode is now set using a keyboard (not shown) of the data processing unit 5. Next, the operator supplies the mail P to the supply section 11 or to the transport path 12 from a sorting section (not shown). The above supply section 1
The mail P taken out from 1 is conveyed on a conveyance path 12. As a result, the information on the surface of the mail P being conveyed along the conveyance path 12 is optically read by the image reader 13, and the reading result is supplied to the control section 20. Then, the control section 20 causes the discrimination section 19 to discriminate the postal code in the image information read. If the control unit 20 is able to determine the postal code through this determination, it converts it into barcode information corresponding to the postal code. At this time, the mail P that has passed through the image reader 13 is conveyed by the conveyance paths 14 and 15, and faces the printer 16 after a predetermined period of time has elapsed.

Furthermore, if the control unit 20 cannot determine the postal code based on the above determination, it outputs the image information to the data processing unit 5. As a result, the data processing section 5 transmits the supplied image information to the video/video via the distributor 4.
Output to any of the coding desks 3... Therefore, the video information supplied with the image information
In Coding Desk 3..., the image information is
The postal code is displayed on the CRT display device 42, and the operator enters the postal code corresponding to this display on the keyboard 4.
Enter by 3. The postal code entered using the keyboard 43 is supplied to the data processing section 5. Thereby, the data processing section 5 converts the supplied postal code into corresponding barcode information and outputs it to the control section 20. As a result, the control section 20 outputs the barcode information supplied from the data processing section 5 or the barcode information corresponding to the postal code discriminated by the discriminating section 19 to the printer 16, thereby allowing the control section 20 to output the barcode information supplied from the data processing section 5 or the barcode information corresponding to the postal code discriminated by the discriminating section 19 to the printer 16. When the mail P faces the printer 16, a bar code is printed on the mail P. The mail P on which this barcode is printed is supplied to a sorting machine (not shown).

Video coding desk 3 above...
If the address information (image information) displayed on the CRT display device 42 is difficult to read, or if the operator gets confused when entering the keys,
The operator specifies storage using the keyboard 43. Then, the image information is output to the image processing section 6 via the data processing section 5. Then, the image processing section 6 stores the supplied image information in the buffer memory 24 via the interface circuit 35. The image information stored in the buffer memory 24 is band-compressed by a compression/expansion circuit 25 for each line of information, and the compressed line information is supplied to the magnetic disk device 29. As a result, the magnetic disk device 29 stores the supplied image information in a track on the corresponding magnetic disk 31 with a sequence number added thereto. Thereafter, image information from the video coding desk 3 . . . operates in the same manner as described above and is stored on the magnetic disk 31.

Therefore, the image information stored in this way is
Subsequent mail information investigation data, that is, mail images that are frequently rejected by an image reader, can be stored and used effectively, such as by analyzing the reading tendency of the image reader. Additionally, by storing information that may cause operators to get lost during training, it is possible to analyze this information.

Next, coding training will be explained.
First, in order to obtain information on the surface of the mail P, the mail P is set on the two-dimensional scanning device 28. Then,
Image information such as an address on the mail P is two-dimensionally scanned by a two-dimensional scanning device 28, photoelectrically converted, and stored in the buffer memory 24 for each line information. When one page of image information is stored in this buffer memory 24, the image information is stored in the display interface circuit 27, and the image information is
It is displayed on the CRT display device 32. Based on this display, the operator inputs the postal code using the keyboard 30. Then, the CPU 22 stores the postal code in its internal memory, compresses the image information for each line of information in the compression/expansion circuit 25 using the well-known MH (Modified-Hoffman) conversion, and stores the compressed line information on a magnetic disk. Supplied to device 29. As a result, the magnetic disk device 29 stores the supplied image information on the corresponding track on the magnetic disk 31 by adding a sequence number. Thereafter, other image information is stored on the magnetic disk 31 in the same manner as described above.

In this way, in a state where the necessary amount of mail information has been collected, the training mode is set using the keyboard (not shown) of the data processing unit 5,
Instruct to start training. Then, the CPU 22 sequentially reads image information and its postal code from the magnetic disk 31 of the magnetic disk device 29 and supplies them to the data processing section 5 via the interface circuit 35. Then, the data processing section 5 stores the supplied postal code in an internal memory (not shown), and outputs the image information to the video coding desk 3 through the distributor 4. Therefore, at the video coding desk 3 to which the image information is supplied, the image information is displayed on the CRT display devices 41, 42.
will be displayed. Thereby, the operator conducting the training views the image information on the CRT display device 42 and inputs the postal code corresponding to the information using the keyboard 43. Next, the data processing unit 5 compares the postal code in an internal memory (not shown) with the input postal code, and if they do not match, the data processing unit 5
The CRT display device 42 gives an instruction to press again.

Further, when the above-mentioned postal codes match, the data processing section 5 sends the
An image request signal is output to the CPU 12, and the next image is processed in the same manner as described above.

As mentioned above, the video coding desk can be used for both actual operation and training, and since the operating environment during actual operation and training is the same, the user can get used to it quickly and the training effect is extremely high.

[Effect of idea]

As described in detail above, according to this invention, it is possible to provide a coding device that allows an operator to know what kind of image information he or she is sensitive to or the tendency of the reading unit to reject.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawing shows one embodiment of this invention.
Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration, Figure 2 is a plan view showing the configuration of the reading/printing section, Figure 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the image processing section, and Figure 4 is the configuration of the video coding desk. FIG. 1...Reading and printing section, 2...Coding section, 3...Video coding desk, 4...
...Distributor, 5...Data processing unit, 6...Image processing unit, P...Postal item, 13...Image reader, 16...
...Printer, 19...Discrimination section, 20...Control section,
21...Main control unit, 22...CPU, 29...Magnetic disk device, 31...Magnetic disk, 35...
...Interface circuit, 41, 42...CRT
Display device, 43...keyboard.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] a reading section that reads destination information on the mail; a determining section that determines the destination according to the reading result of the reading section; and a display section that displays the reading result of the reading section when the destination cannot be determined by the determining section. a coding desk comprising a keyboard capable of inputting destination information according to the display section; and an attaching means for attaching destination information according to the keyboard or a discrimination result by the discrimination section to the mail piece. , comprising an instruction means for instructing storage of image information using a keyboard of the coding desk, and a storage section for storing image information displayed on a display section of the coding desk by the instruction means. coding device.